Drive assembly for the mobile equipment of hydraulic presses, and suited for exerting pressures of various intensities



A. F ERRANTI LY FOR THE M PRESSURES OF Sept. 17, 1963 3,103,876 DRIVE AssEMB OBILE EQUIPMENTOF AND SUITED FOR EXERTING Y VARIOUS INTENSITIES Filed oct. 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l t. I n 711/ INVENTOR. @Urbino Ferran 11:1' BY f/ww, MOL

TTORNEYS United States Patent Oiiiice Patented Sept. 17, 1963 3,103,876 DRIVE ASSEIWBLY FOR THE MOBILE EQUIPMENT GF HYDRAULIC PRESSES, AND SUITED FOR gRTING PRESSURES F VARIOUS INTENSI- Albino Ferranti, Viale Marche 97, Milan, Italy Filed Oct. 12, 1961, Ser. No. 144,756 Claims. (Cl. 10G-214) The present invention refers to -a drive assembly for the movable table of hydraulic presses in general, and evolved in such a manner so as to exert pressures of diiferent intensities on the working surfaces of the aforesaid movable table, and in relation to the different forces which the press has to absorb.

It is commonly known to those skilled in the art to which `the present invention pertains that hydraulic presses normally incorporate a cylinder and piston assembly and which assembly exerts a practically constant pressure on the movable table, even when the material being processed requires limited pressure force.

The aim of the present invention is that of realising a drive group such as that described in the title of this description, and which assembly by means of `simple yand rapid operations, can exert one or more diiferent pressures or diferent intensities as called upon, in accordance with the requirements of the work actually being done, and which requirements arise in relation to the operation being done.

The `drive assembly according to the present invention is characterized by at least two cylinder/piston groups, and at least one of which is connected up to the mobile table by means of bolt locking systems which are arranged in such a manner so as to lock the mobile part of the cylinder/ piston group with the movable table, and in such a manner as to exert on the movable table the correct amount of pressure required.

The cylinder/ piston group has Ibeen specially arranged in Isuch a manner that the mobile part of the cylinder/ piston group is connected up to the movable table `of the press, and in such `a manner that the movable table, can also cooperate with the iixed table of the press.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings which show an example of a preferred arrangement of the drive assembly to a single column type of press.

In the drawing: i

FIGURE 1 shows the longitudinal section of the upper part of the press.

FIGURE 2 shows the pian view of the press with several parts shown in sectional View.

FIGURE 3 shows the blocking system in `sectional View of the movable table.

FIGURE 4 shows the blocking system of FIGURE 3 in plan view.

The press illustrated in the `above iigures has already been described in detail by applicants copending `application Serial No. 144,717, filed October 12, 1961, and therefore the constructional characteristics of the press under description can be obtained therefrom concerning this press.

In the sake of clarity let it be said that the press illustrated is comprised yof -a foundation A having a fixed table 14 suited -to sustaining an arched structure B, and two upright supports C (comprising uprights 34 and 36) which carry a guide structure D at the-ir upper extremities.

The guide structure D is of a prismatic box type structure as already described in copending application Serial No. 144,916, 'filed Oct. 13, 1961; the edges of the bench are in the form of prismatic guides 48, and which together with the upper parts of the uprights 34, 36 form fixed guides for the moving equipment F of Ithe press.

For securing the guide structure D to the arched iixed structure B having side yframes 16 and 18 and a top plate, 20 and bottom plate 22 extend between two fixed vertical uprights 34 land 36. The uprights 34 land 36 are provided with keys 42 xed by means of indents or welding to the side frames 16 and 1S of structure B. Said mobile equipment is constituted by a prismatic shaped housing in which is contained the guide structure D, and which is provided at its lower extremity with a plate 50 constituting the movable table, and above this latter there are lateral walls 52 and front wall 54. In correspondence with the vertical edges 'formed by said walls, these latter are provided with right angle channels 56 and 58 which cooperate with the prismatic projections 48, and in such manner `as to constitute part of the guiding equipment or the mobile equipment F.

The drive of the mobile equipment of the press is effected by motor units G which are housed in the box structure formed by guide structure D previously described.

In the case under discussion, said motor units G are const-ituted by two cylinder/piston groups, and the respective cylinders of which 70 and 72 are suitably xed to the plate 28 -of guide structure D and which `are connected to each other by suitable conduits by means of a conventional hydraulic feed circuit not illustrated.

Piston 74 of cylinder 70 is directly connected to the mobile table Sil. On the other hand piston 76 of cylinder 72 is movably connected to said table in such a manner as -to be able to operate in conjunction or independently with the mobile table 50. `For this reason therefore, table Si) in correspondence with piston 76, is furnished with an vopening 78, and through which the piston 76 can slide .and operate freely so as to cooperate with the fixed table 14 on foundation A, and thus constitutes an independent group from the cylinder/piston group 70', 74.

Cylinder 76 can be engaged solidly with the movable table 50 by means of suitableblocking device H. In the case under illustration, said blocking device is constituted by two segments 80 and 81 which are hinged together, by means of two I.arcuate shaped hinge pins 82 and 83 to the upper part of the table 50. Each of the two segments 80 rand 81 at their extremities and in correspondence with the relative hinge pins respectively 82 and 83 are furnished respectively with a toothed sector 84 and 85 respectively made in a bevel system. These bevelled teeth presented by sectors 84 and 85 are in fact complementary so as to form a female thread screw, and Vwhich cooperates with a control screw 86, the polygonal extremity 38, of which, protrudes at the exterior through the lateral wall 52, and fixed to said wall lby means of plate 90. Piston 76 in correspondence with its lower extremity terminates with an end piece 92 which collaborates with the fixed table of foundation A, and above said end piece there is provided a ring shaped groove 94, in such a manner as to house and engage the two segments 80 and 31.

Therefore it is evident, that by acting yon screw 86 engaged by the two toothed sectors S4, 85, it is possible to displace segments 8l) and S1 away from each other to engage or disengage them from groove 94, so as to render piston 76 solidly connected or independent from the mobile table 50. When piston 76 is engaged with the mobile table `50, the motor unit G vof the press is constituted by two cylinder/piston groups 70, 74 and 72, 76 which work in parallel and exert a pressure which is the sum of the pressures by each single group thereof.

On the other hand when segments 80 and 81 are disengaged from the groove 94, it is then possible t0 use the cylinder/piston group 72, 76 in combination with the fixed table, as a group in itself, and independent of the mobile table 50. For example said group can be used as a plate closer.

lt remains understood that the present invention includes and is extended to hydraulic presses of any type which incorporate a drive -unit las per the present invention.

In operational practice, the particulars and details of the present construction assembly can vary somewhat from the present invention and still Acome within the scope of the attendant claimed subject matter.

I claim:

1. In a press assembly having a fixed platen and a movable table disposed for reciprocating toward and away from said fixed platen comprsing a fixed support structure, guide means fixed to said structure to permit said movable table to slide therealong, said movable table slidably carried by said guide means and having an opening therein, at least two reciprocating piston drive means fixed to said structure for sliding said table along said guide means in a rectilinear direction, said two piston means being disposed parallel to each other, one of said piston means having its lower end secured to said table to reciprocate it along said guide means, the other of said two piston means being disposed in alignment with said table opening to pass through it, and locking means fixed on said table to secure the lower end of said other piston means to said table to increase the driving force acting against said table, and means operatively connected to said piston means for independently actuating each of them, whereby said other piston means can extend through said opening and cooperate with said fixed platen independently of said movable table.

2. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said two piston means comprise -a hydraulic piston and cylinder combination.

3. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein the lower end of said other piston means is housed Within said movable table when said lower end of said other piston means is locked to said table.

4. The press assembly of claim 1 wherein said lower end of said other piston means has a ring-shaped groove which is engaged by said locking means.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 in which said locking means includes two segments hingedly mounted on said movable table adjacent the lower end of said other piston means, control means operatively connected to said segments to move said segments into and out of locking position, and ythe lower end of said other piston means has a ring-shaped groove to be engaged by said segments when moved into locking position by said `control means to latch said other piston means to said movable table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,603,176 Sebring et al July 15, 1952 2,769,389 Wissman Nov. 6, 1956 2,820,250 Stratton Ian. 21, 1953 2,916,987 Hanni Dec. 15, 1959 3,037,446 Thompson June 5, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,454 Great Britain 1867 

1. IN A PRESS ASSEMBLY HAVING A FIXED PLATEN AND A MOVABLE TABLE DISPOSED FOR RECIPROCATING TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FIXED PLATEN COMPRISING A FIXED SUPPORT STRUCTURE, GUIDE MEANS FIXED TO SAID STRUCTURE TO PERMIT SAID MOVABLE TABLE TO SLIDE THEREALONG, SAID MOVABLE TABLE SLIDABLY CARRIED BY SAID GUIDE MEANS AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, AT LEAST TWO RECIPROCATING PISTON DRIVE MEANS FIXED TO SAID STRUCTURE FOR SLIDING SAID TABLE ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS IN A RECTILINEAR DIRECTION, SAID TWO PISTON MEANS BEING DISPOSED PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID PISTON MEANS HAVING ITS LOWER END SECURED TO SAID TABLE TO RECIPROCATE IT ALONG SAID GUIDE MEANS, THE OTHER OF SAID TWO PISTON MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID TABLE OPENING TO PASS THROUGH IT, AND LOCKING MEANS FIXED ON SAID TABLE TO SECURE THE LOWER END OF SAID OTHER PISTON MEANS TO SAID TABLE TO INCREASE THE DRIVING FORCE ACTING AGAINST SAID TABLE, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PISTON MEANS FOR INDEPENDENTLY ACTUATING EACH OF THEM, WHEREBY SAID OTHER PISTON MEANS CAN EXTEND THROUGH SAID OPENING AND COOPERATE WITH SAID FIXED PLATEN INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID MOVABLE TABLE. 